Does anyone know how often Michaels changes their Safari Ltd Dinosaur catalogue?

[Stegotyranno420]

Kind of a verg specific question, but I have been trying to figure out how often Michaels will add new figures to their dinosaur collection. Their latest is from 2019, the Pterandon.
Does anyone have any memory of other figures besides the following
Feathered Tyrannosaurus
Pteranodon
2009 Brachiosaurus
Old non Carnegie Spinosaurus
Small Green Tyrannosaurus
Baby Tyrannosaurus
wooly mammoth
Triceratops
Old dilophosaurus
Old brown velociraptor

Once again I apologize for the very specific question, I am just curious to see when they will add the newer dinosaur releases, as they are the only store near me that selle non-mattel, non-cheaposaur dinosaurs, (target used to have battat though...)

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

not very often from what i have noticed, they may stock more toobs or  other figures more often.

[Gwangi]

I've been checking their selection for at least 11 years and they barely ever change their stock. Some of the figures they sell are literally the same ones from 2010.

[Stegotyranno420]

I've been checking their selection for at least 11 years and they barely ever change their stock. Some of the figures they sell are literally the same ones from 2010.

Maybe that is your store but on the website they have figures from 2019.
What 2010 figures in particular?

[Gwangi]

I've been checking their selection for at least 11 years and they barely ever change their stock. Some of the figures they sell are literally the same ones from 2010.

Maybe that is your store but on the website they have figures from 2019.
What 2010 figures in particular?

The same ones you mentioned...

2009 Brachiosaurus
Old non Carnegie Spinosaurus
Small Green Tyrannosaurus
Old brown velociraptor

They've been sitting in Michael's stores for over a decade. And it's not just my store because I've lived in 4 different places over the last 11 years, it's at least 3-4 different stores. Always the same stock. Occasionally they stock a newer figure, like the 2019 Pteranodon, but the selection is mostly stagnant.

[suspsy]

I don't think Michael's cares that much about updating their Safari selection. As long as the current in-store products are selling, that's what they're going to keep ordering in.

[Shane]

I think Michaels does a "reset" every few years, with special exceptions, but it's ultimately down to individual stores as far as what they carry.

It sounds like the store you're discussing has not updated its inventory in some time.

[SidB]

Selling out excess left over inventory from the past may also be in play. I've seen some incredibly old Safari stuff in a nearby store, not so terribly long ago. I'm sure that there are a good number of parents and very young kids who wouldn't know the difference.

[Sim]

@Stegotyranno420 can you ask staff to order models you would like?

[Stegotyranno420]

@Sim I doubt they would care about one guy though, the common market does not listen to all the collectors

[Sim]

Sorry, I realise now I wan't clear.  I meant could you ask staff to order one of whatever you want just for you.  You might need to pay in advance for it.  Stores over here in the UK do this.

[EmperorDinobot]

My local Michael's store has dinosaurs that have been stale for over 10 years. Last year they had the newish Pteranodon though. If you want to hunt Safari Ltd. dinosaurs in person, Michael's isn't the best place to go to.

[Stegotyranno420]

Sorry, I realise now I wan't clear.  I meant could you ask staff to order one of whatever you want just for you.  You might need to pay in advance for it.  Stores over here in the UK do this.

That would be lovely and it would be nice if Michaels offered such a thing, but in the US it does not appear to be the case. I think walmart allows this but the prices are scalped and its essentially no different than ordering from Amazon.

My local Michael's store has dinosaurs that have been stale for over 10 years. Last year they had the newish Pteranodon though. If you want to hunt Safari Ltd. dinosaurs in person, Michael's isn't the best place to go to.

Do you know any big chains that might sell these?

[EmperorDinobot]

In the 25 or so years that I have hunted Safari Ltd., Carnegies and the like, I only ever saw them in mom 'n shop educational toy stores. And very sparsely. About 7 years ago, I found one such store in La Grande, Oregon, and they had all of the latest models. You might wanna use yellowpages or something to track them down, but keep in mind that those stores are mostly gone the way of the Dodo. It may be possible to find Safari Ltd. at some hobby stores and such.
Try Dan's Dinosaurs for current models, or you can try my ebaystore if you're looking for some older models.

[Dinoguy2]

In my experience Michael's rarely updates their toy inventory. My store also still has many of the exact same figures that have been sitting there for years. Unlike Target or Walmart, they don't seem to ever clearance figures out to make room for new stock. They just wait... and wait... and wait for the current stock to sell through then they would presumably order more.

Unfortunately I don't know of any chains that still exist that sell animal figures. After World of Science and Noodle Kidoodle went out of business in the 90s I can't think of the last time I bought a figure in a physical store other than a Michael's type craft store near me that went out of business, and museum gift shops.

[Stegotyranno420]

A bit unrelated but apparently PetCo has Safari Ltd...
https://mobile.twitter.com/TM9380/status/1624811501042163717/photo/1
Hopefully the link works

[Gwangi]

A bit unrelated but apparently PetCo has Safari Ltd...
https://mobile.twitter.com/TM9380/status/1624811501042163717/photo/1
Hopefully the link works

Wow! I wasn't expecting that. Guess I have to stop by Petco one of these days.

[Stegotyranno420]

@Gwangi it may not be for certain.
I have petsmart near me, and I doubt they have anything...so close haha.

[Shane]

A bit unrelated but apparently PetCo has Safari Ltd...
https://mobile.twitter.com/TM9380/status/1624811501042163717/photo/1
Hopefully the link works

PetCo is indeed carrying Safari Ltd.

Not all stores at the moment, but they're expanding the offerings to more and more all the time.

[Stegotyranno420]

S @Shane it is a bit bizarre, and unprecedented but I sure am happy for those guys who live near Petco and are in the same situation as me. But I am not sure why Petco of all places, they are a pet shop. I guess it is to "lure" children and their parents money while shopping for dog food or a gold fish.